What you need to know
Anna Wintour joins the conversation surrounding Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos’ roles at the 2026 Met Gala.
“I think Lauren will be a great addition to the museum and events,” the former Vogue editor-in-chief, 76, told CNN. “[I’m]so grateful for her incredible generosity. She loves costumes and of course loves fashion, so we’re thrilled to have her join us on this night.”
Wintour recently stepped down as editor-in-chief of Vogue US after 37 years, but continues to serve as Vogue’s global creative director and Condé Nast’s chief content officer. Although she will still partially direct the 2026 Met Gala, the event will be the first for Wintour’s successor, Chloe Malle.
The Met Gala has historically been funded by high fashion brands, so the decision to involve Bezos as a donor sparked controversy over the creative direction of the event, in part due to Bezos’ recent involvement with President Trump’s administration. The Amazon founder, 61, recently attended a state dinner with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, along with tech billionaire Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Vogue magazine previously announced that the theme for next year’s event is “Costume Art.” Saint Laurent and Condé Nast will also donate to the event, which celebrates a new exhibition at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
According to the magazine, the museum’s “Costume Art” exhibition will open on May 10, 2026 and close on January 10, 2027. The Met Gala funds the Met Costume Institute.
Sanchez Bezos, 55, and Bezos first attended an event together in 2024, when the dress code was “The Garden of Time,” inspired by J.G. Ballard’s short story of the same name. That year’s exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
Never miss a news. Sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to human interest stories.
News of Bezos and Sanchez’s relationship surfaced in January 2019, around the same time the Blue Origin founder announced his divorce from Mackenzie Scott after 25 years of marriage. At the time, Sanchez Bezos was divorcing her husband of 13 years, Patrick Whitesell.
Bezos and Sanchez-Bezos have not disclosed how they met, but a source previously told PEOPLE that they developed a working relationship while teaming up on several projects and developed romantic feelings for each other “over time.”
The 2026 Met Gala will be held on May 4, 2026.
